Cola BBQ Sauce

BBQ season is here and what a fun personal touch to add to your summer entertaining! Make a batch of your own BBQ sauce, then just marniade, grill up and enjoy all season long!

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a generous pinch for the garlic
• 3 cups cola
• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 slightly heaping tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus additional for seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, plus additional for seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Directions:

Smash the garlic cloves, sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear mixture to a coarse paste.

Stir garlic paste, the 1/4 teaspoon salt, cola, ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, chili powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, and allspice together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thickened, about 45 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, stir in the lime juice, and season with black pepper and hot sauce, to taste.

Know-How: Barbecue sauces are all about balance: a sweet note offset by sour with a jolt of spice, all of which flourish in a cloud of smoke. There are lots of ways to work this magic-thick, thin, and in-between. Concocting a signature sauce is compulsory in some barbecue circles. Start with this basic riff and play with variations to suit your style.

Cute as a Button Headband

We haven't posted crafts lately so I thought I'd kick off some crafty inspiration with this adorable headband idea I found through oneprettything.com that was created by littlemissmomma.com. Such a fun, easy crafty accessory for summer!

Here's What you'll need:

Headband {great plain headbands @ Target}

Buttons of your choice

Glue gun and hot glue

Ribbon {similar color as buttons and thinner than button}
STEP ONE:

Glue down the first button in the center of your headband.

Working from the center button, continue gluing down your buttons.

STEP TWO:

Now that have finished gluing down your buttons we need to add the ribbon to keep the buttons and glue from sticking to your hair. I suggest using a ribbon in a similar color as your buttons. Also, make sure your ribbon is not wider than your buttons {you don't want the ribbon to show}.

And here you have it:

Cute as a Button Headband!

Lazy Mojito

Well Mojito season is upon us and as much as we all LOVE them they can be difficult and time consuming to make from home if you are entertaining. I found this simple recipe for what I like to think of as a Lazy Mojito that you can make in a big pitcher. Enjoy!

What You Need!

1 pkt. (makes 2 qt. drink) or 2 pkt. (makes 1 qt. drink each) CRYSTAL LIGHT Lemonade Flavor Drink Mix*

2-1/2 cups water

1/2 cup rum

6 mint sprigs

3 cups club soda

6 lime slices

Make It!

EMPTY contents of drink mix packet into large plastic or glass pitcher. Add water and rum; stir until drink mix is completely dissolved.

ADD mint. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

STIR in club soda. Serve over ice cubes in tall glasses. Add lime slice to each glass.

Spiral Cookies

I was over on SprinkleBakes.com and I absolutely fell in love with these spiraled cookies. You can customize the color and flavor and I think it would be super cute to put them on lollipop sticks so that it is a cookie that resembles those huge suckers we all adored so much. Another thing I love about these is that they are SLICE and BAKE. You could easily put the unused portion in the freezer for later.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups unsifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup unsifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon strawberry (or other) extract
1/2 teaspoon flaming red gel food coloring or any color of your choice
1 tablespoon unsifted cake flour
1 1/2 cups multi-colored nonpareil decors (Sprinkles!)

INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugars in a food processor and process briefly to mix. Add the butter in pieces; process with on/off bursts until the mixture has the consistency of cornmeal. Add the vanilla and process until the mixture just forms a ball. (I didn't really process long enough. My mixture would not really form a ball, so I ended up having to add more butter later.)

Divide the dough into 2 equal portions then return one of the portions to the food processor. Add the strawberry extract, food coloring, and the extra tablespoons of flour to the processor and process until just incorporated.

Roll out each portion of dough between sheets of waxed paper. You want a rectangle about 11 x 8 1/2 inches by 1/8 inch thick. Leave the dough between the sheets of waxed paper and slide onto a baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm, for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.

Remove dough pieces from refrigerator. Pour the nonpareil decors into a shallow rectangular dish (such as a 9 x 13-inch pan.

Peel off the top sheet of waxed paper from both doughs. Brush the vanilla dough very lightly with water. Using the waxed paper, lift the strawberry dough and flip it onto the vanilla dough so they are stacked. Press with your fingertips to seal the two doughs together. Remove the top sheet of waxed paper and trim the edges even.

When the dough is just pliable (but still cold), roll up the dough rectangles (begin with the long side) like a jellyroll. As you begin to roll, gently curl the edge with your fingertips so you don't get any air pockets as you roll dough into a log. As you roll, lift the waxed paper to help you roll the dough neatly and tightly.

After forming the dough into a log, throw away the waxed paper, and roll the dough back and forth on the work surface to evenly distribute the dough and form a nice little log. Gently lift the log on top of the nonpareil decors in the dish and roll until the log is completely coated with decors. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to slice (from 4 hours to a week, or freeze for up to 2 months; defrost in the refrigerator overnight before slicing).

Adjust rack to lower third of oven and preheat oven to 325°. To bake, slice the log into 1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick cookies and bake on parchment-lined baking sheets for 15 to 17 minutes, until the cookies are no longer shiny on top and the bottoms of the vanilla portion are golden.

The Ultimate Pie Book!

I wanted to learn how to make pies before the holiday season and came across this book:



Every pie that I have made so far has been delicious, these recipes are amazing! Below is one that I made for a friend for her Birthday, and it got rave reviews.

I make the crust by hand, how to make it is also outlined in the book, but purchasing pastry works just as well :).

Blueberry-Pineapple Pina Colada Pie

Filling

3 Cups wild blueberries, canned (drained), frozen (partially thawed), or fresh (picked over for stems)
1 cup canned crushed pineapple, drained
1/3 cup thawed frozen pina colada concentrate
¼ cup sugar
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon light or dark rum (optional)
½ teaspoon coconut or vanilla extract (I used vanilla)
Pinch of salt

Coconut Crumb Topping

¾ cup all –purpose flour
¾ cup sweetened flake coconut
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into ¼ inch pieces

1. If you purchase a pie crust, make sure you refrigerate for one hour before starting.

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees F.

1. Combine the blueberries, pineapple, and pina colada concentrate in a large bowl.
2. Mix the sugar and cornstarch together in a small bowl, then stir into the fruit.
3. Stir in the rum (if using), vanilla or coconut extract, and salt.
4. Scrape the filling into the chilled pie shell and smooth the top with a spoon
5. Place the pie on the center oven rack and bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile….Make the topping!

1. Pour the flour, coconut, sugar, and salt into a food processor and pulse briefly to mix.
2. Scatter the butter over the top and pulse until gravelly crumbs are formed.
3. Dump crumbs into a large bowl and rub between fingers for large, buttery crumbs.
4. Refrigerate until needed.

And finally....

1. Remove the pie from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F.
2. Carefully dump the crumbs in the center of the pie, spreading them evenly over the surface with your hands. Tap down lightly.
3. Return the pie to the oven, placing it so that the part that was facing the back of the oven now faces the front. Slide a large foil-lined baking sheet on the rack below to catch any spills.
4. Continue to bake until the juices bubble thickly around the edges, about 30 minutes. If the top starts getting too brown, cover loosely with aluminum foil for the last 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the pie and let cool for at least 1 hour before serving.

Enjoy!

Mushroom and Asparagus Fettuccine

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces dried fettuccine or linguine
8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
3 cups sliced fresh shiitake or crimini mushrooms
1 medium leek, thinly sliced, or 1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup mushroom broth or vegetable broth
1/4 cup half-and-half or light cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chopped plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon finely shredded fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely shredded fresh oregano
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Cook fettuccine or linguine according to package directions, adding asparagus the last 1 to 2 minutes of cooking; drain. Return pasta mixture to saucepan; cover and keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook mushrooms, leek, and garlic in hot oil over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until most of the liquid is evaporated. Stir in broth, half-and-half, salt, and black pepper. Bring to boiling. Boil gently, uncovered, for 4 to 5 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened. Stir in tomatoes, basil, and oregano; heat through.
Spoon the mushroom mixture over pasta mixture; toss gently to coat. Divide among 4 bowls or dinner plates. Sprinkle with pine nuts and, if desired, Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Thai Peanut Noodle Bowl

INGREDIENTS
2 ounces uncooked whole-wheat pasta
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablesppon lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 piece (1-inch) ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame
2 cups frozen stir-fry vegetables
1 tablespoon chopped peanuts
2 scallions, sliced
DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta according to directions.
In a skillet, saute peanut butter, lime juice, garlic and ginger for 1 minute.
Add edamame and vegetables and cook for 12 minutes until vegetables are tender; pour over pasta.
Top with peanuts and scallions.

Mini Oreo Cupcakes

What You Need
1 pkg. (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 egg

2 Tbsp. sugar

48 Mini OREO Bite Size Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

1-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

Make It!

HEAT oven to 350°F.

PREPARE cake batter as directed on package. Mix cream cheese, egg and sugar until well blended.

SPOON half the cake batter into 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Top each with about 1-1/2 tsp. cream cheese mixture and 1 cookie; cover with remaining cake batter.

BAKE 19 to 22 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 5 min.; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

FROST with COOL WHIP. Top with remaining cookies. ADORABLE! Frosted cupcakes can be stored in refrigerator up to 3 days.

Strawberry Jam

I found this recipe on homeadebyjill and thought it would be fun to share! So yummy, surprisingly simple and can be used in so many different ways and makes a cute spring/summer gift in a jar with a cute homemade label or ribbon. Have fun and happy spreading.

What You Need!

2 cups crushed strawberries (buy 1 qt. fully ripe strawberries)

4 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

3/4 cup water

1 box SURE.JELL Fruit Pectin
5 jars

RINSE 5 (1-cup) plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly. Stem and crush strawberries thoroughly, 1 cup at a time. Measure exactly 2 cups prepared fruit into large bowl. Stir in sugar. Let stand 10 min., stirring occasionally.MIX water and pectin in small saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling and stirring 1 min. Add to fruit mixture; stir 3 min. or until sugar is almost dissolved. (A few sugar crystals may remain.)FILL all containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or in freezer up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using. You can also make it even easier! by making Freezer Jam: Omit water and boiling step. Mix 1 pouch CERTO Fruit Pectin and 2 Tbsp. lemon juice in bowl. Stir into fruit mixture in large bowl. Continue as directed. Makes about 4 (1-cup) containers.
Use with peanut butter or Nutela spread on toast, or as an ice cream topping.